Solarize CNY!

Many of you are aware that we are now making electricity with the solar panels we had installed as a result of our participation in the Solarize Syracuse Campaign. Our system was installed at the end of March and we have generated 3.25 megawatts of electricity since that time. We typically use 8.75 megawatts in a year, so we are off to a good start.

If you are considering adding solar to your home or office building, a new initiative is about to begin in Central New York. The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB), a public agency created by Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego Counties in 1966 to serve the region’s communities, is working with dozens of municipalities and community-based organizations to make it easier and more affordable than ever to use solar energy. Building on the successful Solarize Madison and Solarize Syracuse campaigns, Solarize Central New York will be open to residents and businesses throughout the five-county Central New York region.

Through grassroots outreach and a pricing structure that provides substantial discounts to participating customers, Solarize Central New York aims to complete as many as 400 new solar installations. Working with its local partners, the CNY RPDB will organize dozens of public workshops and events throughout the region during the summer and fall of 2015. Solarize customers will have a choice to purchase or lease their solar PV systems at below-market prices, thanks to the collective purchasing power of their neighbors. The campaign will officially launch on Monday, July 13, with an enrollment deadline of October 15.

As a past participant, we will host an open house on July 16. The open house will be an opportunity to see an installation and ask questions about the process. Workshops will be held throughout the Central New York area and will provide extensive information about the program and the ability to sign up for an assessment. For more information, please visit www.solarizecny.org.